3/19/23 Calpe, Spain

In spite of the plan to leave today, the weather had a different idea. Looking at the weather for the next week it looked like we wanted to be on the north side of Ibiza, but not today. High wind out of the North East would be on our nose and in our cove on the north side. The wind was already building, but the sun was shining and it was warming up. We took advantage of being at the dock and gave the boat a good cleaning inside and out.

After lunch we enjoyed a walk around the fishing boat docks. Those fisherman work hard, sorting nets and lines on shore, pulling nets and lines off shore and up at O dark thirty for a long day or maybe more. The nets looked beautiful fan out in the sorting yard. The beach on the west side was bustling with beach goers in spite of the cool temps. We could see the Calpe anchorage and decided to move out to the anchorage for the night. It is always easier to get going early in the morning off of the anchor as compared to the dock. At anchor most everything stays stowed and secure so you are ready for a swell or a quick getaway. At the dock we are pretty lax and things sit out and cabinets are unlatched.

     Calpe, Spain

     The fishing nets

We readied the boat and cleared out of the slip with a favorable wind. The anchorage was just outside of the harbor so it was a short ride. There was one other sailboat and a runabout anchored already. We put the hook down in about 5 m and watched the anchor and chain layout on the sand in the clear water. It was a perfect afternoon to enjoy the sun and read in the cockpit.

3/20/23 Calpe, Spain

A calm, cool and clear morning dawned and we were off the hook by 0800 heading to the Balearics. Anticipating light wind, we rigged the Code Zero Sail just in case. The wind stayed on our nose at about 5 knots for nearly the entire trip. The swell was negligible making for a very quiet ride. We crossed the shipping channel where there was a tanker headed north and a few large fishing boats. We had a brief dolphin sighting, but they seem to be shy here in the Med. At home they almost always ride the bow for a little bit. I caught a glimpse of what looked like a sunfish, which we later confirmed do exist here in the Med.

At about 25 miles out we could see the mainland in the haze and caught our first glimpse of Ibiza on the horizon. From this distance it appeared to be several islands, but as we closed it was clearly one island. A high-speed ferry crossed our path likely coming from the city of Ibiza heading to Valencia. As we reached the island, some 7.5 hours later, the wind turned south and picked up speed as predicted. As we made our way across Bahia de San Antonio the wind piped up to 16 and then subsided as we entered Port d’en Torrent, a small cala just west of Puerto De San Antonia.

     Ibiza, approaching from the west

     Now where is that anchorage

The protection of the Posidonia (a type of sea grass) is a big deal here. If you destroy any of it with you anchor, they will fine you. As a result, we carefully surveyed the cove before dropping the hook in 6 m of beautifully clear water over sand watching the chain layout. On the west shore were old fishing huts, closed up for the winter. To the east was a beach and a couple beach bars and a small resort. Ibiza and the Mallorca are huge tourist areas so we are not surprised to see a sea side resorts everywhere we go. We were well protected from the wind and swell in this beautiful little cove.

Rounding the point into Bahia de San Antonio

Anchored in Porta d'en Torrent

After taking down the unused Code Zero it was time for sundowners and relaxing with our new waterfront view. It does not take long to cool down as the sunsets so we tucked in below for dinner and a few rounds of backgammon.

3/21/23 Porto d’en Torrent, Ibiza, Spain

A beautiful sunny day dawned after a quiet night at anchor. We planned to stay at least one more night here so it was time to deploy the dinghy and explore the area. I spent most of the morning putting the dinghy together and making new davit bridals and a towing bridal. I am not sure what happened to the ones from last year. The weather was warm and sunny so the topless sunbathers were gathering again on the porches of the fishing huts.

The fishing huts

A fun playground at the resort

After lunch it was time for a dinghy ride to explore the shore of our cove and the neighboring coves. The clouds moved in and it was getting cool on the water, but comfy down below. A quiet night after a busy day meant an early bed.

3/22/23 Porto d’en Torrent, Ibiza, Spain

Another beautiful day. We took the dinghy and rowed ashore, parked on the ramp to one of the fishing huts. These huts are made of concrete block with a concrete roof and appear to be more of a boat garage and storage shed. We walked out to the western point exploring the tied pools and rain pools on what looked like a lava flow. The tide pools were not very prolific, but you have to consider there is only a 1-2’ of tide here. Sadly, we did pick up a bit of trash left laying around. We walked south to the small beach at the head of the bay. There we found many people painting on canvas; it looked like it could be a class. Across the beach we headed up into the very empty resort, everything was closed. It looks like lots pools, slides, playgrounds and shops for the summer vacationers.

Like walking on a lava flow

In the tide pool

More tide pool

Looked like an old rock quarry, had to climb in

My afternoon chore was to replace the box I used for my shore power switch and add a 230v outlet so we can plug in 230v devices when we have shore power. The box replacement made for a safer more elegant solution for accommodating the Blue Sea switch.

Relaxing in the cockpit in the afternoon had us watching a German couple pull into our anchorage in a fast looking RM1070 sail boat. They settle in and headed off in their dinghy to accommodate their dog, so it appeared.

It is not Sunday, truth be told I do not know what day it is, but it is now pizza night!

3/23/23 Porto d’en Torrent, Ibiza, Spain

Another beautiful sunny day! We loaded up the dinghy with our recyclables and put on our best shorts and shirts for a visit to Porto De San Antonio. It was about 4 km across the bay in calm wind and sea. There were a number of yachts anchored outside of the marina. We tied up near the marina office and asked permission to park the dinghy, no bueno. So, we found a spot along the public quay and locked the dinghy to a post. That’s it, no more asking permission!

First stop was the recycle bins, generally located near the marina and through out the city. They do a great job collecting recyclables here in the EU. The town is not old by any stretch, but rather geared toward accommodating tourists. Being early spring most of the restaurants were closed, but the shops were open and there was lots of maintenance being performed in preparation for the season to begin.

They had a couple great chandleries and hardware stores so it was easy to get the items on my list, mostly spares and a few household items. Considering we are on an island the prices were reasonable. We walked the streets and the water front before parking ourselves at a restaurant that served Paella. Our goal is to Paella taste our way across Spain.

Seems like a bad idea

Porta de San Antonio Waterfront

A great parking spot

We had the Black Seafood Paella. The black came from the squid ink. They served it right out of the Paella pan at the table. I like this version better than the last mostly because they did all the work to shell the seafood. It was delicious, though a bit salty. We lingered over a glass of Vino Blanco and enjoyed watching the people and happenings along the waterfront.

I am always happy to return and find my dinghy where I left it. We have not heard of much crime and the Port Captains seem to be on patrol, but it is pretty easy to pinch a dinghy. Another easy ride across the bay and back to our quiet little cove. Having consumed enough food for three meals we skipped dinner, but not cocktail hour. Lounged in the cockpit watching the sun set over the hill.

3/24/23 Porto d’en Torrent, Ibiza, Spain

Up early to enjoy the sunrise over the town. A bit of wind had the rigging humming, but it settled down. This is probably the longest time we had spent in any one anchorage ever. It had been well protected and it had just enough activity to keep it interesting. The water is incredibly clear, but I have not mustered the fortitude to go swimming as the water temp is about 16 C. With the wind it was cool so staying below and getting some computer work done was in order; download a new book for Suzette, check the weather, balance the checkbook and send a few emails. By noon it was calming down and the sun worshipers were arriving at the fish huts. We dinghied ashore and hiked west along the cliffs and the pine forest. The islands are synonymous for their pines, but it is spring and they are yielding a boat load of yellow pollen turning my decks yellow. From the cliffs we could see the next couple coves to the west and the beautiful blue and turquoise water. The plants here are not unlike home, wild Dill and Rosemary were abundant.

Looking East toward Porta de San Antonio

Looking West to the west end of Ibiza

The sunset turned the rocks to gold

The boats hull had not been properly washed since we left from Gibraltar for home in November. It was not looking terrible, but the streaks from the draining rain water were obvious. With the wind calm we washed the hull from the dinghy, very handy having a hose and pump on the bow at your disposal. You appreciate how big the boat is when you have to wash it. It was a warm day with lots of sunshine so this was an enjoyable chore.

3/25/23 Porto d’en Torrent, Ibiza, Spain

Awaken by a shift in wind and waves. The plan was to depart this day and head for protection from a west wind for the night and a heavy north wind on the following night. We headed north beyond the 3 mile line and then turned east for Cala Xarraca. There was a boat in the west corner of the Cala, which was probably better protected from the wind. We headed to the east corner for better protection from the swell. We had to do some searching to find a descent patch of sand to avoid the sea grass.

After we settled in a black rib cruised by slow and then sped off to check out the other boat at anchor. We think they may have been the Posidonia Police making sure we did not harm the sea grass. After lunch we toured the cala (cove) in the dinghy. There were several fishing huts scattered about. It seems that fishing hut may be code for nude sunbathing spot. There were a couple small resorts, but closed for the most part.

Dinghy ride to the next cala

Cala Portinatx

Lots of little caves along the shore

We stopped by the other boat in the cala, Petite 4 Cour, and met Anika and Ben. We had seen them at our last anchorage, but did not stop to talk. They are from Germany and brought the boat down from the Baltic. The boat is a French made boat, RM 1070; about 35’ with twin keels, plywood and fiberglass. They are cruising for a few months and seem to be on a similar path to ours.

We headed out around the point to the east and into the next cove. There were several boats in the cala and a village at the head of the cala. We beached the dinghy and walked the little town, again mostly closed, but there was a little marked with fabulous fruits and vegetables. Suzette picked up a couple items. Me, I was down to my last beer and last bottle of wine, so I picked up an 8 pack and a bottle of wine.

For dinner we fired up the grill for the first time and grilled a huge red pepper and an equally huge zucchini. Grilled vegys over a green salad, delicious!

3/26/23 Cala Xarraca, Ibiza, Spain

It was a quiet night until about 0300 when you could feel the wind and swell shift. Up about 0700, but with the time change 0800.  The wind was strong from the west and we wasted no time getting underway and under sail. The wind was already 15 to 20 knots so we left a reef in the main and unfurled the self-tacking jib. We quickly discovered how much wind there was and what a poor job we did securing the projectiles down below. Once I head the boat heading down wind and leveled out Suzette went below to secure the cabin…nothing harmed and nothing broken!

We got to sail a down wind run for a couple hours with winds gusting to 30+. As we transited the north east end of the island, we could see Mallorca in the distance. Before our turn west along the south side of the island we took advantage of a calm bay to furl the sails and switch on the engine. As we rounded the point and had the wind on our nose we were happy with our decision. We made Cala Llonda by 1230 and were happy to be the first and only boat anchored. The wind was predicted to go north and be very strong overnight, this cala offered great protection. Unlike at home, where we can generally choose when we want to be on the water, living on the boat means preparing for what ever mother nature is handing out.

Rounding the NE end of Ibiza

The wind was hooting straight out of the cala, but we would only need to live with that for a few hours before it settled for the evening. We anchored in about 7 m of beautiful clear water and white sand bottom closer to the north side of the cala. Not surprising, 3 more boats arrived in the course of the day, including our friends on Petite 4 Cour. Everyone was hunkering down on their boats as the wind blew 15 to 20 off the beach. The amazing part was that it was sunny and my thermometer read 85 F in the shade.

The wind died off about 1500 and everyone was coming off their boats. We launched the dinghy and went ashore to see what was going on. There was a beach tennis tournament in full swing. Music by a dejay on the beach and a concession selling food, drinks and beach tennis shirts. We watched for a bit, the game was played over a volleyball type net with wood paddles and a tennis ball. Two people to a team, some of the players looked pretty serious.

Sand Tennis anyone?

Town square...or round

Anchored in Cala Llonda

We walked the little town and out to the resort hotel grounds. It was Sunday so almost nothing was open. We met up with Ben and Anika and went to the one café that was open. They are pretty serious racers turned cruisers. We talked boats and life for couple hours sipping a couple beers. We managed to get back to the boat as the sun was setting and think about dinner. Now I understand how dinner can be at 2100! As we settled in a catamaran came ghosting into the cala and, with its shallow draft, anchored near the beach.